Campaign for Better Boys' Clothes - letter

[BadHair]

Here's a draft of the e-mail/letter to the high street retailers, to accompany the link to the thread.

During recent discussions on the talk boards of the award-winning parenting website Mumsnet, we realised that we, as parents, are dissatisfied with the range, quality and choice of children?s clothes currently available in the UK?s high street stores.

Below is a link to an actual discussion thread that took place during the week of 24-31 May 2004. Its free market research for you, should you choose to view and act upon it.

The people who took part in the thread are parents from all social backgrounds, with vastly differing household incomes, and with children of varying age groups, yet all were agreed that we are not being offered a good enough choice of clothing for our children.

We believe that all high street shops could offer a wider choice of colours, patterns and fabrics for its boys? clothes, and could minimise the use of logos and inappropriate and often violent imagery. We would like to see boys? clothes representing a percentage equal to the girls? clothes on sale, and to be available in brighter, more vibrant colours.

We are also unhappy that so many clothes for our girl children are scaled down, inappropriate teenage designs and that the choice of colours and designs are again restrictive and uninspiring.

We believe that our high street shops are willing to, and capable of, providing us with a much better choice in future seasons. We await your response.

Not too snappy is it? Would anyone like to make any changes, seeing as how its coming from all of us?

Also, if Justine et al are around, are you OK with us using the Mumsnet name for this?

like that baby stuff hjan

message withdrawn

Prima and She?

I've finally managed to get this missive sent off tonight, so hopefully the replies will be rolling in (!) over the next few days.

Sorry for the long delay but got utterly swamped at work and haven't even had time to fart let alone get on Mumsnet or elsewhere.

Will obviously post up as soon as I hear anything.

Jako-o deliver throughout the EU, ks. I haven't tried it myself, but all my German friends use it, and I've never heard a complaint. I have the stuff mainly in hand-me-down form, and it's good quality, too.

ks, you can get good quality printed cotton pjs for next to nothing from Vertbaudet and La Redoute. They're not plain but the colours are attractive and the prints a Beckham-free zone. Ds has gold and blue checks, flannelette dogs romping etc. All tres Francais and the poplin especially washes and washes beautifully.
Frogs, Janh - what a brilliant website. I will definitely be ordering. Friends in Germany have sent clothes presents before now and I have been really impressed with the quality and the jaunty colours.
Forgot to say thanks BigHair - hope you've had time for a quick fart after all...keep us posted (about the letter not the flatulence )

ks have you tried Adams? Got some nice shortie pjs there recently, didn't look at the long ones though.

ks, no m'dear, you have to throw caution to the mail order winds. I'm quite fussy too and have not been disappointed. You'll just have to make it to a Mumsnet meet-up and I'll bring some of ds' jimjams for you to inspect...clean ones.

MISPLACED APOSTROPHE ALERT!

Check out www.ladsandlasses.co.uk. Girls stuff is a bit pricey but I got some fab trousers with a 'digger' patter on formy ds for £15 and they are much commented on

Eeek it's a fair cop Janh

I was taught at school that if a word ended in `s' (I know ds isn't really a word but there you go), you could either put an apostrophe after the s or add 's (e.g. ds' or ds's). So you are both right according to my old teacher

Missed the thread first time round but I totally agree!

DS1 is 6 and I'm fed up with blue/grey/black choice of colours for boys clothes. I do buy quite a bit from Vertbaudet as they always have orange/yellow/red/lime gree available - and my little boy does look good in bright colours

Agree with the Ladsandlasses website - got DD2 a lovely purple/pink check fleece (with matching hat) last Autumn and we get lots of comments about it - and one very sad one

DD2 was with DH, wearing fleece, a woman in a shop stopped and stared, frozen. Woman approached DH to apologise for staring, but her little girl had exact same fleece (she'd never seen anyone else with one) but sadly the little girl had died recently and DD2 had reminded her of her DD

In Cornwall I saw some fantastic bright clothes by a company called Brightbots, I think they are Australian, but not too expensive. Best of all recycle clothes among friends and family as children get such little wear out of them, and it's better than buying lots of cheap clothes from shops which source from sweatshop labour that we would'nt put up with in UK.

Gap trousers have a clever adjustable waist for DS age 9, it is like in preg clothes elastic with buttons to made wider etc.

In USA they also have HUSKY ones.

School uniform means we don't need as many clothes as before.

We used to get PJs and other clothes from KIDS STUFF but then they got eaten up by GLTC and quality went downhill, now I think they have stopped trading.

DS fav trousers are tracksuit bottoms navy blue but in all colours from Woolies. He says they are "cuddly"

Great idea to write a letter to shops and mags. After we are the ones they expect to buy for our DSs.

Have so far had one solitary reply from the e-mails sent out re this. Its from Asda and goes:

Thank you for you email concerning children's clothing

We are constantly seeking feedback from customers young and old to make sure
that all of our products including clothing are not only exciting and
interesting but made to a very high standard and reflect fashion ability but
with good taste. This year we won the Tommy's award for being the most parent-
friendly supermarket for the 6th year running.

Where sub-brands are accommodated in our range they must also meet this
criteria - the Mary-Kate and Ashley brand is a good example of this. This
range was set up to ensure fashionable clothing was available to children and
teens but explicitly without things such as low-slung trousers or cropped tops
that reveal too much. Not only are these ranges responsible but they sell well
too.

Perhaps you could let us know which George products in particular have given
you cause for concern so we can properly address your points.

So, are there any Asda clothes in particular that anyone wants to complain about? Mine is a more general gripe and I don't have anything specific, other than the overall dullness of boys' clothes and the smallness of the range in comparison to girls' clothes. But does anyone have a specific item they'd like to tell Asda about?

By the way, let me know if you think I'm being a disagreeable old windbag about all this.

Thanks for feeding back Badhair. I have been pleased with Asda's school uniform clothes. (I bought Tesco trousers for the boys, but the waist measurements were huge and they wouldn't stay up).

But I've failed to find suitable boys' clothes there. My ds2 makes a beeline for their toddlers' clothes - stripy shorts, bright T-shirts etc., but there is nothing in his size. Once they are 5 the choice seems to be khaki, grey, pale blue, etc. Too few cotton shorts for this age, and no bright ones. The only bright tops I found had horrid pictures on ... skulls and so on.

And again there are aisles upon aisle of girls' clothes to choose from, just one aisle for the boys and no choice!

Sorry, I think that also comes under the realm of general moan too.

I just think these manufacturers are missing a trick. My ds1 is 7 now, and he still doesn't want to wear 'boring' clothes. He would jump at the chance of a stripy shirt in primary or neon colours. So why are the companies deciding that post age 4 boys clothes should be dull?

I have left countless shops empty-handed this summer, and they really need some new clothes quite desperately. I just can't understand why no-one is catering for this market.